Junya felt himself in the same situation as before. Instead of a dark atmosphere with scantily clad female patrons and white men who looked as if they didn.t like black people nonetheless hip hop music; there now was a fancy gallery of slim women dressed in long gowns drinking champagne out of flukes with their pinky fingers extended, and men wearing sharp three piece suits with cellular phone earpieces on: this place was truly the next level.
In the center of
the soft yellow colored room was a champagne fountain. There was a small bar
in the back near the grand piano where an elderly gentleman was playing
classical tunes from early Harlem Renaissance. Junya knew he was not in the
wrong place, but he felt out of place. He scanned the room to see if he saw
anyone that he recognized from the prior night. Junya fixated his eyes on a
young woman, and approached her.
"Are you here alone ma.am..."
"Why, yes. Yes I am."
The woman replied. The woman wore an
elaborate white gown that highlighted her soft cleavage. She held a glass of
champagne in her hand, and held on to her matching purse.
"May I buy you something to drink...oh, I see you have one already, I ask
the sorriest questions sometimes..."
Junya said as he fidgeted in his pockets.
"Why, what is there to be nervous of? We are all family here, and there is
no reason to seclude yourself from this establishment! By all means, come."
The woman grabbed Junya by his jacket sleeve. Junya recognized this as a
gesture for him to be a gentleman. Junya placed his arm out, and the woman
placed hers underneath. Junya walked into the direction that the woman had
signaled to; a walled off region of the suite that housed a private setting of
partygoers.
"So tell me something about yourself young man...what aspect of the
entertainment profession do you work in? Let me guess...are you a producer?
You have a piano player's hands. My husband is a piano player."
Junya looked at the woman with a slight shock. He did not expect the
woman to immediately mention her husband. Junya realized that he was not
here to Mack. His dealing with Lani earlier that evening gave Junya a hint of
confidence, but he realized that the woman was serious, and is serious about her
inquiry.
"Excuse me, did you not hear my question? Or were you..."
"Pardon my slow response madam...I was unsure as to whether or not I
should unleash my latest works without them manifested. I have a serious habit
of doing that sometimes. Yes, yes you can say I am a producer, but I am more of
an emcee."
Junya said with a confident look on his face.
"Oh, an emcee. Is that the same as a rapper? I don't like rap. I respect
what they do; but I do not feel that rappers aspire to be anything. I have so
many children in my youth organization trying to rap, I get so sick of it. I
encourage them to play instruments like the violin, or the saxophone. Well since
you rap, whose albums have you rapped on?"
"I am from Connecticut, so I have not been exposed to too many artists. I
recently recorded a demo album. It sold 1,400 units, but that is about it."
Junya
said as he looked the woman square in her eye. Junya knew that his
embellishing on the issue could make him look bad in the environment he was
in.